Combination closing and opening pliers for reversible matrix band clamp

ABSTRACT

A combination closing and opening pliers for reversible matrix band clamp, wherein a pair of operating handles are swingably secured together for closing and opening movements, these pliers having a pair of clamp-closing beaks arranged to straddle legs of a substantially U-shaped clamp so as to crimp the clamp upon a dental matrix band, and the pliers further having a pair of clamp-opening beaks arranged to be applied over an arch interconnecting the legs of the clamp so as to compress the arch and thereby spread the legs apart to release the clamp from the band.

United States Patent Tofflemire [54] COMBINATION CLOSING AND OPENING PLIERS FOR REVERSIBLE MATRIX BAND CLAMP [72] Inventor: Benjamin F. Tofflemire, 41301 Crest Drive, I-Iemet, Calif. 92343 [22] Filed: June 1, 1970 21 App]. No.: 41,961

52 u.s.c1 ..7/3,32/63,8l/5.1R, 81/425, 72/410 51 1m.c1. .3251) 7/22 [58] Field of Search ..8l/3 CP, 305, 306, 311, 415, 81/425, 300; 72/409, 410, 384, 385; 7/3, 5.5,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,105,402 10/1963 Tofilemire ..72/3.87 3,041,729 7/1962 Tofilemire ..s1/5.1 x 1,263,720 4/1918 Weber ..7/5.6 x

[ 1 Oct. 24, 1972 726,794 4/1903 Bonney ..7/5 .5

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 43,072 4/ 1908 Switzerland ..7/5.5

Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker Att0rneyJoseph F. Cole [57] ABSTRACT A combination closing and opening pliers for reversible matrix band clamp, wherein a pair of operating handles are swingably secured together for closing and opening movements, these pliers having a pair of clamp-closing beaks arranged to. straddle legs of a substantially U-shaped clamp so as to crimp the clamp upon a dental matrix band, and the pliers further having a pair of clamp-opening beaks arranged to be applied over an arch interconnecting the legs of the clamp so as to compress the arch and thereby spread the legs apart to release the clamp from the band.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEHUBTZMBYZ 9.999.595

INVENTOR.

BENJAMIN F. TOFF'LEMIRE ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In my US. Pat. No. 3,105,402, dated Oct. 1, 1963, there is shown a dental .instrument for crimping a retaining clamp on a matrix band. Moreover, my US. Pat. No. 3,041,729, dated July 3, 1962, there is disclosed pliers for releasing a retaining clamp from a dental matrix band. Thus two separate instruments or pliers are required during the placement of a dental matrix band around a patients tooth prior to filling the latter, and subsequently removing the band from the filled or restored tooth.

SUMMARY As the cardinal object of this invention, it is proposed to provide a single pair of pliers that may be utilized initially for crimping the clamp upon the matrix band, and

subsequently used for removing the clamp from the i the arch and thereby open or release the clamp from the band.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing in detail, there is shown a combination closing and opening pliers A, which are designed to first close or crimp a reversible matrix band clamp B upon a dental matrix band C, and subsequently used to release the clamp.

The construction and operation of the matrix band C is shown and described in detail in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,314, dated Dec. 9, 1969, entitled Closed-Loop Dental Matrix Band With Combined Keeper And Traction Block.

Moreover, the construction and operation of the clamp B is disclosed and described in detail in my copending patent application for Reversible Dental Matrix Band Retaining Clamp, Ser. No. 880,785, filed in the US. Patent Office on Nov. 28, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,517,444.

In order that the purpose and use of the combination closing and opening pliers A may be readily understood, the reversiblematrix band clamp B will be described briefly. This clamp is substantially U-shaped Thus, with my combination pliers, there is a correlation or coordination of the two pairs of beaks in the achievement of a single or common purpose in the broad sense, that is, first crimping the clamp upon the band at the start of a filling operation, and subsequently releasing the clamp from the band after completion of the filling operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of my combination closing and opening pliers for reversible matrix band clamp, as seen from one side of the pliers;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view as seen from the opposite side of the pliers;

FIG. 3 is an isometric of the reversible matrix band clamp;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the clamp showing the latter as being closed or crimped upon end sections of the band; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the arch of the clamp as being compressed so as to release the clamp.

While I have shown only the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

and defining a pair of juxtapositioned legs 10 made to straddle end sections 11 of the matrix band C, the clamp further having an arch 12 interconnecting the legs 10, the arch being preformed with horizontal grooves 13 in opposite exterior surfaces thereof. Also, the interior surface of one of the legs 10 is provided with a horizontal tongue 14 that is aligned with a horizontal groove 15 formed in the interior surface of the other leg 10 of the clamp. When the legs 10 are closed or pressed toward one another, as suggested by the arrows 16 in FIG. 4, interlocking ofisets 17 are fashioned in the end sections 1 l of the band C.

Also, the clamp B has a pair of [horizontal beads 18 on the interior surfaces of the legs 10 near the arch 12, which will cause the legs to spread apart when the arch is compressed in the areas of the grooves 13, as suggested by the arrows 19 in FIG. 5 thus releasing the clamp from the band. Occluso-gingival extending recesses 20 are fashioned in the exterior surfaces of the legs 10.

Turning now to the details of the combination closing and opening pliers A, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that a pair of operating handles 21 are swingably secured together by a journal screw 22 for closing and opening movements, and a suitable spring 23 is provided for yieldingly urging the handles into open position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of clamp-closing beaks 24 are carried by the operating handles 21, one on each handle, and these beaks are arranged to straddle the legs 10 of the clamp B, that is, applied over the exterior surfaces of these legs from the arch 12, and the handles are swingable toward one another to actuate these beaks to crimp or close the clamp upon the matrix band C, as suggested by the arrows 16 in FIG. 4 and previously mentioned.

The clamp-closing beaks 24 are provided with V- shaped confronting blades 25 disposed to enter the occluso-gingival extending recesses 20 in the legs 10 of the clamp B during the crimping or closing of the clamp upon the matrix band, whereby either leg may be ar ranged on the mesial aspect of the banded tooth and the other leg arranged on the distal aspect thereof and a blade 25 will still enter each recess 20.

In its further structural features, a pair of clampopening beaks 26 are provided on the operating handles 21, one on each handle, and these beaks are arranged for being applied over the arch 12 of the clamp B and defining jaw tips 27 disposed to enter the exterior grooves 13 in the arch 12 and thereby spread the legs apart to release the clamp B from the matrix band C, when the handles 21 are swung toward one another, with the jaw tips moving toward each other as suggested by the arrows 19 in FIG. 5 and previously mentioned.

it will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2 that one of the clamp-opening beaks 26 is formed with a notch 28 of curved outline for snugly receiving and holding the arch 12 of the clamp B during opening of the legs 10.

Particular attention is called to the fact that one set of beaks is arranged on one side of the pliers A and the other set of beaks is arranged on substantially the diametrically opposite side thereof, whereby either set of beaks may be applied to the clamp B by merely turning the pliers upside down.

It will be apparent that when the V-shaped blades 25 are forced toward one another in the occluso-gingival extending recesses of the clamp B, this will provide an additional locking feature by pressing the material at the bottom of these grooves against the interposed matrix band, since these blades will be vertical, crisscrossing the horizontal interlocking offsets 17 in the band.

The elimination of the need for two separate pliers or instruments for first closing the clamp upon the band and then releasing the clamp, as previously required, reduces the requirement to a single pliers herein and simplifies operative procedures.

In my copending patent application for Reversible Dental Matrix Band Retaining Clamp, Ser. No. 880,785, now US. Pat. No. 3,517,444, there is shown a dental instrument for crimping a retaining clamp upon a matrix band after the latter has been constricted around a patients tooth by a traction instrument. The dental instrument shown therein has a pair of crimping beaks of equal length that straddle the clamp. However, it has been found that since the occlusal plane of the patients teeth was parallel to the traction instrument, considerable interference was occasioned in applying the crimping beaks to the clamp, as the traction instrumentand band were somewhat in the way of application.

ln order to overcome .this disadvantage, the forward clamp-closing beak 24 in FIGS. 1 and 2 has been shortened and the rearmost beak 24, that is, the one nearest the operator, lengthened. Thus the operating handles 21 may extend away from and outwardly at an angle relative to the occlusal plane P of the patients teeth, as shown in FIG. 1, when the closing beaks 24 are applied to an interposed matrix band clamp B.

With this change in the lengths of the clamp-closing beaks 24, there is no interference when using the pliers A.

It will be appreciated that the clamp B shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 has been greatly enlarged from its normal size, as compared with the scale of the pliers.

I claim:

1. A combination closing and opening pliers for reversible matrix band clamp, wherein the clamp is substantially U-shaped and defining a air of juxtapositioned legs made to straddle end sec ions 0 band, the clamp further having an arch interconnecting the legs thereof, the arch being preformed with grooves in opposite exterior surfaces thereof, the pliers comprising:

a. a pair of operating handles swingably secured together for closing and opening movements;

b. a pair of clamp-closing beaks carried by the operating handles, one on each handle, and these beaks being arranged to straddle the legs of the clamp, the handles being swingable toward one another to actuate these beaks to crimp the clamp upon the matrix band;

c. and a pair of clamp-opening beaks provided on the operating handles, one on each handle, and these beaks being arranged for being applied over the arch of the clamp and defining coacting jaw tips disposed to enter the exterior grooves in the arch so as to compress the arch and thereby spread the legs apart to release the clamp from the matrix band when the handles are swung toward one another;

d. one set of beaks being arranged on one side of the pliers and the other set of beaks being arranged on substantially the diametrically opposite side thereof, whereby either set of beaks may be applied to the clamp by merely turning the pliers upside down;

e. one of the clamp-opening beaks being formed with a notch of curved outline for snugly receiving and holding the arch of the clamp during opening of the legs.

a matrlx 

1. A combination closing and opening pliers for reversible matrix band clamp, wherein the clamp is substantially U-shaped and defining a pair of juxtapositioned legs made to straddle end sections of a matrix band, the clamp further having an arch interconnecting the legs thereof, the arch being preformed with grooves in opposite exterior surfaces thereof, the pliers comprising: a. a pair of operating handles swingably secured together for closing and opening movements; b. a pair of clamp-closing beaks carried by the operating handles, one on each handle, and these beaks being arranged to straddle the legs of the clamp, the handles being swingable toward one another to actuate these beaks to crimp the clamp upon the matrix band; c. and a pair of clamp-opening beaks provided on the operating handles, one on each handle, and these beaks being arranged for being applied over the arch of the clamp and defining coacting jaw tips disposed to enter the exterior grooves in the arch so as to compress the arch and thereby spread the legs apart to release the clamp from the matrix band when the handles are swung toward one another; d. one set of beaks being arranged on one side of the pliers and the other set of beaks being arranged on substantially the diametrically opposite side thereof, whereby either set of beaks may be applied to the clamp by merely turning the pliers upside down; e. one of the clamp-opening beaks being formed with a notch of curved outline for snugly receiving and holding the arch of the clamP during opening of the legs. 